


Aries Black: Rituals and Rights

by The_MorRioghain



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Azkaban, Harry Potter was Raised by Sirius Black, Magically Powerful Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 07:12:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17421395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_MorRioghain/pseuds/The_MorRioghain
Summary: Harry Potter, or Aries Orion Potter-Black as he's been called since Sirius adopted him, has lived a... well an insane life. Four years of abuse by the Dursleys followed by six years of torture (and tutoring) in Azkaban has left him prematurely mature and aware of the world.With his faithful familiar Stygian, an excentric wand with an attitude, and the kind of education only the Durmstrang Military Academy can offer he intends to take the world by storm... if the storm doesn't consume him first that is...





	1. Chapter 1

**_“The-Boy-Who-Lived” Discovered in Azkaban!_ **

_A special report by Andy Smudgley_

 

_In a shocking revelation today Franken Kent, Senior Press Secretary for the Minister of Magic, confirmed rumors that have been shocking and appalling the magical community for the past week. Harry Potter— the boy who defeated he who must not be named on the first day of Samhain ten years ago— has been found imprisoned in the wing of Azkaban Prison!_

_Sec. Kent went on to reveal that young Harry Potter ended up in Azkaban under most extraordinary and appalling circumstances._

_All of this was only discovered after Hogwarts owls failed to deliver Harry Potter’s acceptance letter to the prestigious magic school. When the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts reviewed Harry’s undelivered letter she found that the charms which address and send out acceptance letters had addressed Potter’s too: Prisoner No. 197 (Harry Potter), Azkaban Prison High-Security Wing Cell 13. She of course immediately contacted the DMLE of the situation and Potter was retrieved by the end of the day.  It seems dear reader that the muggle family Harry Potter was placed within the wake of the attack that killed his parents, by none other than Albus Dumbledore, were physically abusing young Potter. As it turns out little Harry was not left undefended by his parents as an enchantment placed upon him by his late mother Lily Potter activated when the muggles broke his arm and transported him to his rightful legal and magical guardian… Sirius Orion Black._

 

_Now as many of our readers will be aware Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban for the betrayal of the Potter’s and murder of Peter Pettigrew and a dozen muggles, however as it turns out he was never given a trial. As the enchantment placed on Harry indicated he was still legally capable of being the boy’s guardian (current law prohibits anyone convicted of a crime being so), Sirius Black was granted a trial after ten long years in Azkaban and found not guilty._

 

_What Harry Potter’s current condition may be is currently unknown, Harry spent six years in Azkaban and the effects of Dementors on children have,  for obvious reasons, not been studied. As such Harry Potter, along with his guardian Sirius Black, are sequestered in the privet wing of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. When more information becomes available you dear readers will be the first to know._

 

_For a biography of Harry Potter see pg. 7, for a history of Azkaban and Dementors, see pg. 14, for a biography of Lily Potter, see pg. 15, for a biography of Sirius Orion Black, see pg. 16, for a biography of Peter Pettigrew, see pg. 17, and for a report on Sirius Black’s trial see pg. 18._

 

**_The-Boy-Who-Lived: A Tortured Soul_ **

_By Andy Smudgley_

 

_Two months ago Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, was discovered in Azkaban prison, since then he has been in the care of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Only yesterday was he allowed to see visitors, I was one of the few permitted to meet with him._

_Anyone who met James and Lily Potter would remember them well as kind and caring folks, always willing to aid other, quick with a smile, and devilishly clever the both of them._

_I am one of the many who can truthfully say I was acquainted with the Potters, so when I met with their son I thought I knew the sort of wizard I would meet… this was not so._

_Six years in Azkaban changed young Harry Potter. When we met it was in a dark room with all the curtains were drawn as he cannot see in the light due to his eyes having to develop in the bowls of Azkaban. There are many physical peculiarities that define Harry Potter, shocking green eyes, scars across his entire body, and unnatural silver-streaked hair being just a few. It is the boy's mind however which draws the most notice. The Dementors ability to force their victims to relive their worst memories is damaging for even the most resolute of wizards and witches, their effect on Harry Potter’s developing mind seems to have caused him to age immaturely. Indeed the wizard I met reminded me more of middle-aged academic than an eleven-year-old. We discussed, amongst other things, the finer aspects of expositional writing and the Daily Prophet’s circulation statistics… (Continue story on pg. 3)_

  


**_Harry Potter: Condemnation of Hogwarts and her Headmaster_ **

_By Andy Smudgley_

 

_In our continued coverage of Harry Potter and the events which lead to his residing for six years in Azkaban Prison, I am happy to say there has been another exciting development. After four months of recovery at St. Mungo's, Harry Potter has retired to the Black family Mansion with his godfather and guardian Sirius Black. I was honored when the pair accepted my request for an interview so that I may inform the Daily Prophet’s readers of young Potter’s future plans._

_It seems that both Potter and Black hold Albus Dumbledore wholly responsible, not only for Harry’s inappropriate and illegal placement with muggles but also Sirius’ illegal incarceration for a decade. Though Sirius Black declined to go into detail on his personal issues with the Headmaster of Hogwarts young Potter was surprisingly vocal._

_In order for you the reader to fully understand the effect of his words, it is worth noting that young Harry Potter sounds nothing like the twelve-year-old he is. Due to damaged vocal cords, Harry speaks in a rough and soft voice, at times sounding more like a hiss than a human voice. So when he declared Albus Dumbledore “A dangerous menace who has tricked the wizarding world for decades into thinking him nothing more than a kind old man— when in reality he seems worse than any of the Deatheaters I shared a cell with.” Later he went on, saying “At least Bellatrix Lestrange knew what she was doing to me was evil where Dumbledore it seems thinks it’s fine to condemn a child to a fate worse than death and imprison an innocent man to the worst place on earth as long as its for the— as he calls it— ‘Greater Good’.”_

_Seeing as Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry— which Harry has already been accepted to— I asked him if he intended to attend Europes finest magical institute. His response was as shocking as every other word he has spoken to me: “No I most certainly will not! Nothing and I do mean nothing would convince me to patronize an institution run by that man— or one that would choose his leadership.” This naturally begged the question: if not Hogwarts then where? Harry’s response was quick and made with the first simile I’d seen from him “Ah well I am happy to say I have already been accepted to the Durmstrang Institute— though not as popular as Hogwarts they at least graduate more than two dozen students with exceptional NEWT’s.” It seems Mr. Potter already has his eyes set on his NEWT’s!... (Continue story on pg. 13)_


	2. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Okay so thanks to extensive experimentation on you the readers through a few stop and start attempts at stories I have settled on a narrative that I like, and more importantly I won’t get bored with after writing five chapters (don’t tell anyone but this is an important detail for any successful story). 
> 
> A few things worthy of note: First I have moved Harry’s birthday to September 2nd, 1979 so that he is twelve in year-one, thirteen in year-two, fourteen in year-three, etc… I’ve done this so that I can write him a little more mature as I have a hard time writing from a child's perspective… Also, don’t expect cannon Harry, the character is fundamentally different from J.K.R’s, this should be obvious...
> 
> Let’s see what else… oh yes: this story does not include slash, there will be romance eventually but it won’t be relevant for a while.

“Your sure you want to do this?” 

 

Harry rolled his eyes at Padfoot’s neurotic worry but took pity on him when he realized the fretting man wouldn’t let them continue without an answer. He made sure Sirius saw his eye roll and heard his exaggerated sigh before he replied: “Come on you old mutt— I’ve always wanted to be your real son and besides it’s just a blood adoption so stop worrying.”

 

Before Sirius got over his shock at being called an ‘old mutt’ Harry grabbed the crystal vial from his hand and downed the shining crimson potion in one go. He’d gotten quite good at taking potions over the past few months while being fussed over by Healers, the blood adoption drought was worse than a blood replenishment potion— but much better than Skele-Gro. That is until it began to take effect. 

 

First Harry’s blood ran cold like he’d gotten a nasty shock, then it began to burn as it glowed so bright he could see his illuminated veins through his skin. Right then Harry decided if anyone ever tried to hit him with a Blood-freezing or Blood-burning curse he’d kill them straight off and sleep just fine after… he found both sensations to be very unpleasant, in fact, if he didn’t know better he’d call them agonizing. 

 

When the burning finally stopped Harry found himself on his knees, skin smoking, sweat sheeting off him like he was in the shower. Sirius was kneeling in front of him, panicked worry wrote clear across his face. Still, the pure-blood wizard knew better than to interfere in a ritual that could prove fatal if interrupted or interfered with. 

 

When the words came they seemed to force there way out of Harry’s scarred throat of their own volition: “I pledge by blood, name, magic, and future to house black— this I sware as from this day forth Aries Orion Potter-Black.” 

  
As the final word dropped from his tongue Aries felt himself slump as the magic released his limbs. Sirius immediately caught him and pulled him into a tight hug that stopped only when Harrison drug his knuckle in between two of Padfoot’s ribs and gasped “Air! Need air!”

 

“Oh right” Sirius replied sheepishly as he released Aries and held his shoulders at arm's length so he could get a look at him, the grin that replaced his worried frown was Aries’ first reason to worry. When the Marauder began to laugh Aries had his second. 

 

“What is…  _ funny _ ?” he asked, trepidation stilling his happiness more efficiently than an impediment jinx. 

 

Sirius just kept on giggling as he stood and dragged Aries into a nearby washroom where he stationed him to look into a mirror. It didn’t take long for a smile to begin twitching across Aries’ face. His hair which had remained a tangled and spiky mess no matter if he cut it short or grow it long now lay flat and was an even darker shade of black, at least in the paces it wasn’t prematurely silver. He also noted he’d gained the sharper Black facial structure, broader shoulders, and a bit heavier of a brow. Thankfully he still had his mother’s emerald eyes— those would have been a painful loss.

 

“You could have warned me blood adoption was so… drastic” Aries said, his tone dry and distasteful in defiance of the huge grin twisting his lips.

 

“I did tell you it made you a true genetic member of the Black family— but this was much more fun.” There was absolutely no apology or contrition in Sirius’ voice or body language. 

 

“Oh I see how it is,” Aries said as he fake scowled “The first day out from under the Healers protection you open fire— fine then game on mutt.”

 

Sirius paled for half a second until he saw Aries’ mirth filled eyes, at which point he promptly devolved into another fit of the giggles. Giggles that only stopped when they heard a loud rapping on the front door. “Come’on pup we’d better get that before Creature attacks whoever that is.”

 

Aries happily followed his godfather, well father now, down the hall and up to the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place. When Sirius pulled the heavy oak slab excuse for a proper door the haggard frame of Moody was revealed, suitcase in hand and rural grin gracing his slightly asymmetrical features. 

 

“She kicked you out?” Sirius asked, even ten years in Azkaban couldn’t make him forget his fellow Marauder’s habitual bad luck with witches and ‘help me I’m homeless’ expression. 

  
“More like hexed me out— but please Sirius for once tell me if it's not a good time I do have other…” Remus trailed off as Sirius grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him into the house and through to the kitchen. 

  
“Shut up Moody” Sirius commanded as his friend tried to go ask some other friend for help “We’ve got a half dozen empty bedrooms and millions in reparations from the ministry so don’t even think about finding another place— welcome home.”

 

Both Aries and Moody recognized Sirius’ ‘Lord Black’ tone, the one nobody not Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic, or Head of the DMLE even entertained defying let alone Remus or Aries. Not that Moony really wanted to, living with his best friend and the Prongslet sounded like an absolutely brilliant idea. Speaking of the Prongslet… 

“What happened to Harry— don’t tell me you're already mucking about with self-transfiguration.” He finished his question with a scowl and admonition just for good measure. 

 

“It’s actually Aries now… Aries Black.” Aries replied, as always his hoarse voice sent an involuntary chill of Eldritch horror down Remus’ spine, but as always he ignored that and focused on the words. 

 

A not very small part of Remus was horrified that Sirius had even suggested putting Harry, well Aries now, through a full blood adoption ritual. Blood adoption was one of the very few forms of ritual magic the Ministry hadn’t outlawed. For anyone older than three it was an agonizing process that changed not only one’s blood but there existing selves (what muggles called genes) as well. Remus’ next thought was to scoff at himself, Aries had already been through kinds of agony that put the pain of Blood-adoption to shame. Besides, he’d never seen Aries smile like  _ that  _ before, it was very possible this was the first time he’d seen the boy truly happy. 

 

Once his overactive intellect decided it was acceptable to  _ not _ give both Sirius and Aries a lecture he just grinned “Congratulations cub—” then he turned to Sirius and his grin turned to a smirk “And you too papa dog.” 

 

Sirius’ face twisted in both delight and horror and the new moniker even as Remus and Aries broke down in a brutal fit of the giggles at his expressions. Never one to be left out of a good joke though he quickly got over himself and joined them in hailing the absurd hilarity of their situation. 

 

Once the three Marauders— trainee, and veteran alike settled down a bit they moved into the library after retrieving butter-beers from the kitchen and relaxed in for a chat. 

 

“You're really passing up Hogwarts?” Remus asked, completely surprised but a little sad in spite of himself. 

 

Aries shrugged noncommittally, he didn’t see any reason for attending school. He wasn’t so errant that he thought he didn’t need an education but honestly, Sirius could teach him everything he needed to know, and if he couldn’t they could always hire a tutor. But nooooo— Padfoot just  _ insisted  _ he needed to be around kids his own age, that it would be  _ good  _ for him. Bollocks. “Yeah, I suppose so though honestly, I might have chosen not to go even if not for Dumbledore after all the Durmstrang curriculum is far more interesting— the Durmstrang Military Academy I mean, not the Durmstrang Institute.” 

 

Remus opened his mouth to respond but Sirius jumped in before he could “And before you even start in on the whole Dark Arts curriculum Remus need I remind you who tutored Aries for the past six years?” 

 

“And besides” Aries added, “The whole anti-muggle-born policy is just an exaggeration and bad press— the institute has a huge muggle-born attendance and the only reason the Military Academy doesn’t is because they don’t have the introduction courses muggle raised students to need.”

 

A scowl crossed Remus’ brow as he realized the two Blacks had been plotting, planning, and preparing for this conversation. They had assaulted him with a script and logic and he didn’t like it one bit. No not one bit at all… okay well, maybe he liked knowing Padfoot was  _ capable  _ of logic… though it might have been all Aries. Knowing the anti-Dumstrong argument was long lost Remus decided to change the topic, asking: “So when do you leave?”

 

“Ready to be rid of the smart one already huh?” Aries replied, before answering him “Term starts September 13th but I’m moving in on the 9th so I have a few days to prepare.”

 

Not to be left out Sirius jumped in “We’re going shopping tomorrow for his wand, uniform, and supplies if you want to come with.” 

 

Although he didn’t like the mischievous look Padfoot was shooting Prongslet, Remus knew he couldn’t pass up the chance to spend the day with his little pack so he just nodded “That would be great.”

 

* * *

 

The next day found Remus ready to leave but Sirius and Aries nowhere in sight, when he went searching for them he found Sirius standing anxiously outside Aries’ room. “Um… plans change?” he asked as he drew near.

 

“No… it's just… well, I didn’t fare well last time I woke him up” Sirius explained, eyeing the door with a mixture of trepidation and distaste.

 

“Accidental magic?” 

 

Sirius just laughed at that “There’s nothing accidental about it when he decides to set fire to your pants or take a few fingers off.” When he saw Remus’ horrified expression Sirius quickly added “It’s a breeze re-attaching them— and it's not spell-fire so it can all be regrown… I’m not helping am I?”

 

“No, no your not” Remus replied as he took a step back and away from the door. “You're really telling me he has that much control with wandless magic?”

“Not really, he can do a fire starting and severing charm but that's about it— and they tire him out quickly,” Sirius replied in what was supposed to be a reassuring tone, his words, however, were anything but reassuring. 

 

“Your scarring Uncle Moony” Aries broke in as he pulled his door open with a raised eyebrow. Remus had to admit, he really liked being called ‘uncle’ even if it made him pine for a family of his own. 

“Morning pup, sleep well,” Sirius asked, ignoring the fact he’d been caught gossiping with Moony. 

 

“Yeah like the dead” Aries replied, “We getting food in the alley or here because I’m starving.”

 

“Let's eat at the cauldron— Tom can have a feast fit for the kind to us before we can fire up the kitchen here” Remus suggested as he led their little trio down to the floo. 

 

One whirling trip through the London floo system later found Aries stepping out into the Leaky Cauldron where Sirius promptly dragged him into a back room before they could be mobbed by any over-enthusiastic members of the public. True to Remus’ word Tom had them seated and digging into piles of eggs, potatoes, and bacon faster than even a house-elf could. It helped Aries, supposed, that there were few other patrons demanding his services and attention. Still, he was happy one of them hadn’t attempted to cook. 

 

After filling up on Tom’s excellent cooking Aries let the elder Marauders guide him through the alley. Their expedition through Flourish and Blotts tried even Remus’ patients as Aries insisted on purchasing what felt like half their catalog, proving Sirius’ choice to buy a charmed trunk beforehand very wise indeed. This act was repeated again when they visited Slug & Jiggers where the young Black bought at least a scoop of every ingredient they offered along with a brewing kit fit for a master.  

 

By the time they were finished at Madam Malkin’s the two men were exhausted and plopped down firmly on the first bench they saw “No more” Remus groaned, holding his hands up in surrender. 

 

“Moony’s right pup— go on leaving us old men here and finish up, all that's left is a pet and wand we can see the shops from here so we’ll watch while you  _ shop  _ for what you want” Sirius moaned out as he tossed Aries his money bag. 

 

Aries nodded in agreement, having expected this after Sirius broke down into tears when he tried on his tenth robe. Remus had followed this act up when he decided robes were ridiculous and instead chose a wardrobe similar to the Durmstrang uniform. That being a Cossack-style shirt, trousers, a waistcoat, and wool overcoat; thought the uniform included a more military style jacket and optional turtleneck sweater. 

 

Now garbed in what he considered to be appropriate attire Aries headed first for the Magical Menagerie. It didn’t take him long once inside to discover an all black beast which he identified as a Kneazle, the creature was in the midst of a massive brawl with a half dozen other creatures he thought were probably cat/Kneazle hybrids. The shopkeeper was having a fit because it looked like the black Kneazle was about to kill the smaller creatures attacking it. 

 

Without pausing to consider if his actions were wise or not— the beginning of a trend he would regret in future— Aries stepped into the fray and scooped the coiled Kneazle up into his arms. It was only his new thick coat that saved Aries from the little beasts claws and initial ire, the hissing and spitting stopped quickly though when Aries applied himself to petting rubbing its black ears. In no time the Kneazle was unrecognizable as the hissing demon it had been, now it resembled a purring pillow. 

 

“Please tell me you're going to buy that demon” begged the haggard looking shopkeeper “Buy it was gold and you don’t even need to wait for it to be registered— just take it out of my shop!” He blanched as his loud words earned him an angry hiss from the Kneazle.

 

“Stop that” Aries barked too the Kneazle then answered, “Deal if you throw in a binding spell.”

 

“A binding spell for that thing? Fine suit yourself” The man paused as he grabbed a leather band from behind the counter “Just tie this around his neck and Stygian there is all yours.”

 

Wordlessly accepting the band Aries began to speak in a soft low voice as he wrapped it round Stygian’s neck “Shhh now my friend I won’t hurt you— I just have to wrap this round and tie it— no none of that I won’t hurt you— now there we go— nice to meet you Stygian I’m Aries.” 

 

As Aries tightened the knot he felt a brief jolt of magic as the enchanted band snapped a familiar bond into place between him and Stygian. The bond was common for postal owls so they always knew where to find their owner. Kneazles, on the other hand, was known to be very, very intelligent creatures so if he was lucky…  _ Are you taking me from here? _

 

The voice that echoed through Aries’ mind was deeper than he’d expected, also cultured like an old-world aristocrat, odd.  _ Yes, if you’d like me to. _

 

Stygian seemed to ponder that for a moment before he answered:  _ Yes I believe I would quite like that— those small ones are growing very tiring.  _

 

After handing over a dozen galleons, more for the treats and care gear than his new familiar, Aries placed Stygian on his shoulder and headed for Ollivander's. Stygian was very happy with this arrangement, he wrapped his tail across the back of Aries’ neck and sank his claws into his coat to stay in place and spent the short walk commenting on the ‘silly’ and ‘odd’ witches, wizards, and shops that filled the alley. 

 

_ I smell magic— old magic.  _ Stygian declared as Aries pushed open the door to Ollivander's and stepped inside. 

 

“I would hope so master Kneazle” Replied a hoarse voice from somewhere behind the shelves filled with long thin boxes. “Some of these wands are as old as I am— some even older.” With his last word, Ollivander stepped out into view, already clutching an armful of wand boxes. 

 

“Ah, Mr. Potter…” Olivander trailed off as he did a little double take, dropping the wands in the process, and squinted at Aries before correcting himself “No, it’s Heir Black now I see.”

 

_ Be cautious this one is not like other wizards… he’s clever.  _ The way Stygian phrased ‘clever’ suggested to Aries that it was one of the highest compliments the little beast was liable to give anyone. He took the advice heart. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Ollivander— Aries Black at your service.” he finished with a short bow, being cautious to not dislodge Stygian. 

 

“Hmm… Ares god of war eh? Very well— something a little more aggressive than…” Ollivander trailed off as he activated an automatic tape measure and began grabbing wands from the racks. 

 

Once Ollivander had what looked to be a hundred wands piled on the counter he motioned for Aries to step forward. As he did Stygian jumped off his shoulder to curl up beside the pile, setting himself up in the perfect position to watch what he was sure was going to be a very entertaining show. 

 

“Here try this one first— Ash and Dragon heartstring ten inches rigid” but as soon as Aries ‘give it a wave’ as Olivander ordered a glass jar shattered and it was snatched away. 

 

“Maybe this, Cedar and Unicorn hair thirteen inches and flexible” Again the wand was snatched from Aries’ grip almost as soon as he grasped it. 

 

“Hawthorn and phoenix feather nine inches and balanced” The hawthorn wand was a repeat of the first two and sent Ollivander into a frenzy of muttering that was broken only when Stygian fixed him with a baleful glare.  _ He is a parselmouth— find or make him a wand that will understand that.  _

 

“Oh, you clever clever beast!” Ollivander crowd, he was almost giggling as he scooped a surprised Stygian up in a hug before setting the Kneazle back down and skipping, yes skipping, into the back of the shop as he called back “Come follow me— one of my counterparts in America sent me this years ago but I’ve never felt the pull to use it— thought I’d never find a European with the temperament for it…”

 

Aries dutifully followed Ollivander through the stacks and found him in a small cluttered workshop. The floor was covered in wood dust and shavings and every surface was covered in arcane instruments, blocks of wand wood, and jars containing cores. Currently, wandmaker was sliding open a small bock and, using a pair of tweezers, withdrew a pale shard of  _ something  _ six inches long and perhaps an eighth of an inch wide at the thickest point. 

 

“Your hand Mr. Black hold it out and see if this core likes you.” Aries did so and as soon as the pale material touched his skin he felt a cool shiver run across his body. Every nerve was hypersensitive as all his attention centered in on what was in his palm. He could feel… something. It was almost like the familiar bond but instead of thoughts the bond connected his magic to that of the shard and were those emotions... 

 

The sensation broke as abruptly as it began when Ollivander took the core back and placed it in the box, “Perfect!” he declared, then added with a sweep of his hand “Now choose a wand wood— you’ll know it when you touch it but I’d hazard it’s one of the dark ones.”

 

Sure enough, Aries didn’t feel drawn to one wood block over another till his hand brushed across a nearly black block that sent a wave of warmth up his arm. Ollivander, of course, noticed this and came bustling over to grab the prospective wand-wood. “Ah yes… ebony good for combative magic and transfiguration, it’s always drawn to those who are different.”

 

Aries was about to ask what he meant but Ollivander began pushing him away “Go on now wait up front you can’t watch this part— I won't be but a minute.” 

 

Olivander was of course more than ‘a minute’ and soon Aries found himself arguing with Stygian over whether or not he needed a leather or dragonhide wand holster. Eventually, Aries submitted to the Kneazles superior will, and ability to belittle, and chose a holster made from Unkranian Ironbelly hide designed to (via a powerful sticking charm) attach to the inside of the forearm or hang from a shoulder harness. He was just placing that along with a wand-care kit on the counter when a blond haired boy Aries’ age stepped into the store with a man who judging by their identical hair color, could only be his father.

 

Immediately Aries knew, thanks to Aunty Bellatrix’s thorough descriptions, that the pair were none other than Lucious and Draco Malfoy. He didn’t know what he expected to feel upon seeing Lucious, rage, and anger were not among his imagined options though. After all, he’d grown up surrounded by  _ convicted  _ Deatheaters, why one walking free would fill him with the primal desire to rip another human’s throat out with his teeth was beyond Aries— but the desire was still there. 

 

_ Steady now my boy now is not the time, wait until you can get them alone then kill them.  _ Suggested Stygian, Aries like the ‘kill them’ part but not the ‘wait’ part, it made far too much sense…  _ What if I burn them to ashes— no body no crime.  _

 

_ You're not that strong yet but that doesn't mean you cant goad them or piss them off. _

 

“Ah… I see Mr. Olivander is still a master of the art of wasting time” Lucious Malfoy noted as he took in the young man pacing back and forth in front of a wand covered counter. 

 

At his words, Aries snapped toward Lucious as his face previously set in hard lines that didn’t belong on the face of one so young, melted into a polite smile. “Indeed mister…?”

 

“Malfoy” Lucious replied “Lucious Malfoy and my son Draco.” clearly believing any respectable person would already know his name Lucious let his contempt for those lesser than he to creep into his cold voice. 

 

“Ah… Mr. Malfoy, I might have known” Aries replied, forcing his expression to flash momentary comprehension “My name is Aries Black— it is a pleasure to meet you.”

 

Now it was the Malfoys turn to snap to attention as they heard the name of a family very closely related to their own. Both were desperately searching their memories for the name but neither came up with anything on it. Perhaps he was one of Sirius’ bastards? This was Lucious’ line of thought when Olivander appeared and held out a wand box to Aries saying “Heir Black this is one of my finest works if I dare say so.” 

 

With those words the dots connected in Lucious’ mind, causing him to stare in no little shock and horror at the pale, long-haired boy in front of him. Sirius had adopted the Potter brat! That put him ahead of Draco in the line of succession for the title of Lord Black. 

 

Aries was completely distracted by the wand sitting nestled in a velvet bed before him, its black shaft seemed to gleam with power. And by the gods, when he grasped the curved handle he barely held in the laugh as he felt it binding to his will, finally giving his magic a conduit. He already felt his core expanding and pulsing with eagerness to lash out through the near-sentient tool.

 

“Ebony and Hord Serpent horn thirteen and a half inches long, it's thicker and far more rigid than most of my creations but will be a potent companion for you… should you have the will and cunning to master it” Olivander explained. 

 

Aries could only nod as he absently stroked the wand with a single abnormally long finger. Eventually, an impatient noise from Stygian pulled Aries out of his trance and brought his attention back to the present. “How much with the holster and care-kit?” 

 

“As always seven for the wand, then ten for the kit, and twenty for the holster” Replied the wandmaker apologetically. 

 

Wordlessly Aries counted out the gold before affixing the holster to his forearm and stowing his wand away there “My thanks.” Then turning to the still shocked Malfoys he nodded, snapping “Good day cousin” before stalking out of the shop and across the alley to where Sirius and Remus were busy ogling a pair of very curvy witches standing outside Quality Quidditch Supply. 

 

_ Are they brain damaged?  _

 

Snorting at his familiars confused thought Aries shook his head:  _ No, just male. _

 

_ Ah… that makes sense then… tell them to stop acting like feral tom-cats and attend us.   _

 

“Oi! Mutt, shaggy-dog time to go” Aries quipped, his lips twisting in a grin, all thoughts of the Malfoy’s banished from memory. 

 

“A Kneazle? Interesting” Sirius replied eyeing the suddenly interested creature “Get your wand too?”

 

“Yeah, ebony thirteen and a half inches” Aries replied as he drew it from up his sleeve.

 

“Phonix feather core I’d bet,” Remus said, eyeing the violent looking wand. 

 

“Nope,” Aries replied, popping the ‘p’ as he tucked the wand away. 

 

Over the next fifteen minutes, Aries ignored Sirius and Remus’ pestering and begging to know his wand core as they traveled back to 12 Grimmauld Place via the Leaky Cauldron. It was amazing how a secret denied to the two men was able to revive them almost instantly. Stygian spent the entire journey purring away as Aries scratched his chest. 


End file.
